Home of the Heart
by Ashley A
Summary: Christmas, Sunnydale, Season three post "Amends". BA


Authors note:  the timeline here has been tweaked to serve my purposes.  This story is set after BTVS season three episode Amends,  but let's pretend that episode was set a few weeks or so before Christmas.  And the Xander/Willow lusty thing never happened.  Got it?  Just bear with me.

Author's disclaimer:  Nope.  Don't own a thing.   So don't sue!

Rating:  PG.

Authors note 2:  It was kind of hard to pick out the exact chorus for this song, so I chose the lyric I liked best.  Hope that was okay.  Enjoy!

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                As night fell, the temperature fell with it.  Sunnydale being part of California, it wasn't exactly known for it's blustery winters.  But as Buffy Summers walked down the main street of downtown, she smiled to herself at the weather.  No snow, but she was okay with that.  She had had enough snow for this year. 

                Getting her Christmas shopping done early, now that was worth smiling about.

                She decided she deserved a treat after that hardest won battle of them all, getting something successfully for her mother.  And without any suggestions from Joyce herself.  A war won, actually.

                And the last present she had bought, the most important one of all, had been finally ready to be picked up after school today.  So she had gone immediately after class, avoiding Giles and his persistance at patrolling, and had headed downtown to the main shopping area.

                "Thanks so much," she had told the engraver, clutching the little box in her hand.

                "You're welcome, young lady, but I have to tell you, that may be the strangest inscription I've ever done," the shopkeeper had answered.

                She had just smiled a little smile, and exited the store, the last of her gifts stowed safely in her purse.

                As the sun set at last, she got in line at the Espresso Pump, ready for some mocha goodness.

                "Hey, Buffy!"

                A familiar voice reached her ears, and she turned and grinned at the young redhead in line behind her.

                "Will.  What're you doing out and about?  I thought you and Oz had quality time scheduled."

                The budding witch flashed a sheepish smile.  "We did- but I begged out on the grounds I still have no earthly idea what to get him for Christmas…or Hannuka.  Whichever."

                "What about the new strings he's been asking for?" Buffy stated.

                "Yeah, well I already bought those, but I need a special girlfriend gift.  You know, one that doesn't scream 'boring guitar strings for you, dear'.  I don't want him to think I'm boring…do you think I'm boring?"  Willow asked suddenly, a frown creasing her forhead.

                Buffy laughed.  "Oh, my God, Will, you've got to be kidding.  You're the most boring person I know."

                Willow's face dropped, then rose again when she realized Buffy was joking.

                "Not funny, missy.  What're you up to?"

                Buffy squeezed her purse under her arm, just to make sure the gift she had made the special trip for was still there.

                "Got the perfect gift for my mom…the necklace I saw her eyeing at Paula Freidkin last week.  It's awesome.  And it was on sale, even better."

                She pulled the rose necklace out of her bag to show the other girl.

                "Oh, wow, she'll love that.  Hey, what's that bag?"

                Buffy hastily dropped the necklace back into her purse.  "Oh, it's nothing.  Just something I picked up for…my cousin Amber in L.A.  So, you want a mocha?" Buffy answered, trying to change the subject rapidly.  No one was supposed to know about the other gift.  And she was determined to keep it that way.

                "Yeah, is that what you want?"

                "Oh, yes, please."

                The two girls took their seats at a vacant table in the corner.

                "So," Willow ventured.  "How's Angel?  Is he feeling any better?"

Buffy felt an immediate pang of worry echo in her heart, and pushed it away.  "He seems to be fine.  Doesn't really wanna talk about anything."

                "I really don't blame him…that was a rough few days for him.  And for us," the redhead answered, and then added, "and on that note, how are you doing?  You haven't really said anything since…the snow."

                Buffy took a sip of coffee and said nothing.

                "Just like that,"  Willow said, "nothing.  You sure you don't want to talk about it?  We're kind of worried about you…"

                "Will, it's cool.  I'm just- not ready yet.  But I appreciate your concern.  Okay?"

                Willow nodded,  knowing when to back off.  "Okay, Buffy, but you can talk to me anytime, okay?  I would be most put out if you didn't," she finished, trying lamely to copy Giles' accent.  Buffy smiled weakly and got to her feet.

                "You're done already?  But we just sat down…"

                "I have one more errand to run, Will.  Then it's homeward bound, and study time.  I've been ignoring the homework mucho.  Raincheck, okay?  I'll call you tomorrow."

                "Well, okay…take care of yourself, Buffy.  Call me tomorrow, promise?"

                Buffy smiled at her best friend and promised that, yes indeed, she would call her tomorrow.

                The Sunnydale City Park was silent.  No kids playing, no swings going, and best of all, no vamps, well, vamping.

                Buffy plopped down on one of the swings, and took the small bag out of her purse the engraver had given her to put the box in.  She took out the box, and opened it.  Lifted out the simple item it contained.  She held it up, and it glimmered in the moonlight.  After a moments contemplation, she returned it to its box, and placed the box on the ground next to her purse.

                It was a beautiful, clear night, and she swung slowly, enjoying the feel of the crisp wind on her face.

                She was so zoned that she almost didn't notice the hulking shadow on the ground next to her.  Almost.

                Eyes closed, she spoke.

                "Nice night, huh?"

                The swing next to her creaked under his weight, and she heard a sigh escape his lips.

                "It's beautiful."

                They swung in silence for a while, Buffy picking up speed, while Angel remained at his slow rocking pace.

                She launched herself off the swing finally, landing in a crouch that would have made Giles proud.

                She turned around to face him, and found him smiling at her.

                "Still gotta make it pretty, huh?  No simple jumping from a swing for you."

                She grinned back.

                "Nope.  In the slayer programming.  Impossible to dismount without making a show.  You should see me on a horse."

                She walked toward him, and realized he was eyeing the box on the ground.  "Did you go shopping?" he asked, eyes not meeting hers.

                _He's still so uncomfortable, _she thought.

                She walked to him, and stood between his legs as the swing he was sitting on stilled.

                "It's…it's your present.  For Christmas.  Do you wanna open it?"  she said in a rush, afraid that he might bolt away from her at any second.  Instead, he surprised her by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him.  He placed his forehead against her stomach, and her hands automatically went to his hair, and nestled there.

                They said nothing for a few minutes, and she dropped her hands to his neck, rubbing it.  

                He looked up at her finally, and smiled.  "Did you say something about a present?"  She beamed back at him.

                "Let me get it," she said, and bounded away from him.  Picking up the small box, she handed it to him, and resumed her place between his thighs as he stayed seated on the swing.

                She didn't care that they shouldn't be touching, or that they shouldn't be having this moment together.  If the past week had taught her anything, it was that though she and Angel may not ever have the relationship that they both wanted, they still loved each other heart and soul, and there was no way she was gonna let that connection ever get away.  So she stayed stock still next to his body, as he opened the little box she had given him.

                She watched as he pushed away the tissue paper, and pulled the present out of the box, holding it up to the moonlight as she had done mere minutes before.

                "Buffy, it's…wow."

                She nudged his shoulder.  "Turn it over," she said, and waited breathless for him to read the insription.

                _"Carry me still, sweet home of the heart,"_ he read off the back of the bracelet, and looked up at her.

                "Where did you hear that?" he asked her.

                She shrugged sheepishly.  "Nowhere.  I made it up.  In study hall.  I was bored."

                "You made it up?" he answered incredulously.  "I…thank you.  I'll wear it always."

                He handed the bracelet to her, and she locked the clasp around his wrist with suddenly shaking hands.

"You really like it?" she said in a small voice.  
He stood apruptly, and grasped her upper arms with his hands, and slowly

placed his cool lips on her warm ones.

The connection between them, be it one placed there by the Powers That Be, or God, or Buddha, or the First Evil, she didn't know or care, flared to life so suddenly that they both gasped with the intensity of it.

And in that moment, Buffy knew, knew with her whole being, that she would never love any other person as much as she loved the one in her arms right then.  

 He pulled away from her, and placed his arms around her shoulders, bringing her small frame into contact with his large one.

"I love you," he breathed into her hair, and her eyes misted over.  God help her, she loved him so much.  She didn't care then what future or lack thereof there was waiting for them.  In that moment all she cared about was her Angel, and his arms around her, and the cool Sunnydale night, and the stars shining down on them.

Christmas came early for Buffy that year.

Fin.

"When the World Was Young"

Jimmy Page/Robert Plant

From the CD  Walking into Clarksville

Oh, yeah, here I am

I've been here since all time began

Oh, oh, I'm here and then

Go round and round and back again

Ah - ah - ah

Ah - ah - ah

Hey hey, come look and see

My footsteps through eternity

Ride hard, strong and free

The messenger will hold the key, ohh-hoh-hoh

Ah - ah - ah

Ah - ah - ah

I saw him

I knew him, I touched him

When the world was young

I saw, an' I knew an' I touched

When the world was young

When the world was young, oh ohhh

Ah - ah

High on a hill, home of my heart

Take me dancing round, oh, and round 

Carry me still sweet home of the heart

Take me dancing round, oh, round

I saw him, and I knew him, and I touched him

When the world was young

I saw him, and I knew him, and I touched him

When the world was young

Oh oh oh oh oh oh ohhh

Round, round, round, round

I saw him, and I touched him, and I knew him

When the world was young

I saw him, and I touched him, and I knew him

When the world was young

Carry me still home of the heart

Keep me dancing round oh, and round

Oh oh

Oh

When the world was young

Oh oh oh

Oh hoh

When the world was young

Oh

Ohohohhohhoho


End file.
